A Guide to Useful Woods of the World [Paperback]

James H., Jr. Flynn (Editor), Charles D. Holder (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1892529157 | ISBN-13: 978-1892529152 | Publication Date: August 2001 | Edition: 2

An invaluable reference source for woodworkers, wood collectors, and others interested in wood.

This all new 640-page edition of the Guide introduces 78 additional species and contains a number of invaluable features not included in the original edition, including: 1) each of the 279 species is described in a two-page data sheet containing information on the scientific name, family name, other names, distribution, the tree, the timber, seasoning, durability, workability, uses, and supplies; 2) specific gravity is included for all species and average tangential, radial, and volumetric shrinkage values are included where available; 3) each data sheet includes a line drawing of a key botanical feature, a photomicrograph of the end grain of the wood, and a color photograph of a sample of the wood; 4) this new edition also contains a common name index of over 2,000 names, a family name index, a scientific name index, and three very useful appendices including a discussion of biology and taxonomy for woodworkers, insights on the toxicity of various wood species and possible health effects related to the handling and use of these species, and a list of selected references of use to readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Guide to Useful Woods of the World is one of the most comprehensive manuals available. -- Phil Davy, Good Woodworking Magazine, December 2001

This book stands as a highly significant source of wood data. -- Australian Wood Review, December 2001

Product Details

• Paperback: 618 pages
• Publisher: Forest Products Research; 2 edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892529157
• ISBN-13: 978-1892529152
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A tough choice but one I'm happy with, May 5, 2002

By 

B. Hooke (Rhode Island, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to Useful Woods of the World (Paperback)

As far as I could tell the only other book that competes with this book is "World Woods in Color". I had the chance to compare the two side by side and here is my take:

The two books are very similar in many ways. They both include about the same number of woods (around 280) and they both have roughly the same sort of information about the woods. Of course 280 is a tiny number compared to the number of woods in the world, but as far as I can tell these books seem to be about the best there is in print on the subject, and these books do probably cover most the woods one can get on the retail market here in the US.

In any case, the small distinctions I noticed between theset two books were:

"Useful Woods" is organized by scientific name, which means that for most of us to find a particular wood we have to start at the index. "World Woods" is alphabetical by common name, which is easier unless you know the wood by a name other than what the authors considered to be the most common name.

"Useful Woods" is published by the International Wood Collectors Society and this orientation is apparent in the text. There is information such as the origins of the scientific names, and the sources for small samples, which most woodworkers are not likely to care much about, although it is interesting on occasion to read this information.

The color pictures of the woods in "World Woods" are larger but the pictures in "Useful Woods" are plenty large enough for me (2" x 3"). "Useful Woods" includes black and white end-grain pictures, which are useful for identification of an unknown sample. Single pictures are always hard when one is trying to capture something as variable as wood and so it's not surprising that some pictures are better than others. For example, the pictures of Lacewood in both books completely fail to capture the amazing grain of that wood, however, I thought that most of the pictures where pretty good in both books overall.

On average "World Woods" probably includes just a little bit more information on the working qualities of most woods but both books are somewhat thin in this area, at least from a woodworker's perspective.

"Useful Woods" was written in the US where "World Woods" was written in England. This shows in a number of areas, the most important of which are the woods included and the availability information about the woods. This was the final deciding point for me. I figured that everything else being about equal, which I judged it to be, it made more sense for me to get a book that focused on the woods I can get here in the US and that gives me availability information that is focused on the US Market.

So, I went ahead and bought "A Guide to Useful Woods of the World" and so far I'm happy with my choice.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Woods, Useful Guide, July 11, 2004

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Guide to Useful Woods of the World (Paperback)

After listening to me grumble that I couldn't always tell what exotic aw lumber looks like when finished, the shop manager told me to get a copy of this book. Actually, he ordered me to get the book, since, like most novices, I pestered him incessantly. As usual, he was right.

The meat of this book is a set of 279 two-page descriptions of each wood. The information inclides scientific name, family, distribution, a description of the tree, a description of the lumber, seasoning information, durability, workability, possible uses, supply availability, a photomicrograph, and a photo of the naturally finished wood. Quite a lot more than the average craftsperson might need, but enough to make this a useful volume to a wide audience.

Indexes are provided by common names, family name, and scientific name. I wish their were a few more permutations (I would have liked a listing by geographical sources, having once wanted to know what the native Japanese wodds were. But really, the book has proved most useful as a reference when I am wondering through an exotic wood stash, or evaluating a particular wood for one purpose or another.

It's a very plain spoken volume - just a presentation of the facts in an easily accessible format. An appendix I found particularly interesting discussed wood toxicity (walnut dust drives me crazy). Unfortunately it really only brushes the surface. If you stick to only a few known woods, this book isn't for you, but if you like to explore possibilities than you will indeed find this a useful volume.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What more could you want?, February 12, 2005

By 

Lance Davis (Plantation, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Guide to Useful Woods of the World (Paperback)

279 woods each on 2 pages with ample information, 2 x 3.25 inch photos of the wood, a 1.25 x 2 inch micrographs for identification, and line drawings of leaves and any fruit. I don't see what else a person could want with the exception of more woods covered. Is there ever enough wood? This book is also blessed by the International Wood Collectors Society, a meticulous bunch. This volume is a good size, not too big or too heavy (yet). Maybe there will be a second volume. Hope so.